Atthakrit Chimplapibul
Atthakrit Chimplapibul (Thai: อรรถกฤต ชิมผลาพิบูลย์), also known by the nickname Bank or Tarm, is the Co-founder of Bitkub Capital Group and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of its key subsidiary, Bitkub Online Co., Ltd., which operates Thailand's largest licensed digital asset exchange. He is recognized for his operational expertise in scaling the exchange, navigating Thailand's regulatory landscape, and pioneering the adoption of cryptocurrency in the country. [1] [2] [3]
Education
Atthakrit Chimplapibul graduated from Mahidol University International College (MUIC). [1] [4] Sources report that he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) with concentrations in Finance, International Business, and a minor in Economics. [5] [2] During his time at university, he developed an interest in investing through stock trading and was an active member of the MUIC Case Club and MUIC Business Club. [3] [2] He has credited the analytical, strategic, and presentation skills learned from university business case competitions as being invaluable to his role as a CEO. [2]
Additionally, he is reported to have participated in an international exchange program at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business in 2015. This experience is noted for exposing him to the Silicon Valley technology scene, where he became convinced that blockchain technology represented the future of finance. [5]
Career
Early Career and Entry into Cryptocurrency
Following his graduation, Chimplapibul's career path reportedly spanned roles in both traditional finance and the technology sector. Sources describe various positions, including Account Executive at the global information firm Thomson Reuters, a corporate strategy role at Thailand's national conglomerate PTT Public Company Limited, and roles as a derivatives trader and investment analyst at firms including Webull Limited and Finansia Syrus Securities, which served as a foundation for later work in the cryptocurrency industry. [1] [4] [3]
His transition into technology and fintech included reported roles such as Key Account Manager at the e-commerce company Ensogo, Manager at Garena Online, and Business Development Manager at the online payment gateway Omise. It was during this period that his interest in Bitcoin and digital currencies began to develop. [1] [2]
In 2014 or late 2016, depending on the source, Chimplapibul took on his first major leadership position in the cryptocurrency industry as the co-founder and CEO or Managing Director of Bitcoin.co.th, also known as Coins.co.th. [1] [2] This venture was one of Thailand's earliest Bitcoin exchanges, and his leadership there provided him with foundational experience in operating a digital asset platform within the nascent Thai market before he co-founded Bitkub. [5]
Bitkub
Founding and Vision
In February 2018, Chimplapibul co-founded Bitkub Capital Group alongside Jirayut "Topp" Srupsrisopa and Sakolkorn "Sam" Sakavee. [6] [5] The company was established to address a perceived gap in the Thai market for a secure, user-friendly, and locally regulated digital asset exchange. The stated mission was to "democratize finance" and bridge the gap between the traditional financial world and the emerging digital economy. [4] [2] Chimplapibul stated, "Bitkub's journey began with a clear vision and that is to make digital assets accessible and secure for everyone." [6]
Leadership and Operations at Bitkub Online
While Jirayut Srupsrisopa serves as the public-facing Group CEO of the parent company, Bitkub Capital Group Holdings, Chimplapibul took on the role of CEO for the core exchange business, Bitkub Online Co., Ltd. [3] [1] He is often described as the "execution guy" responsible for translating the company's broader vision into operational reality. He described his role relative to Srupsrisopa by saying, "Topp is the 'mastermind,' the visionary, the one who looks at the big picture and charts the course... My role is to take that vision and make it happen." [1]
As CEO of Bitkub Online, his primary responsibilities include:
- Operations Management: Overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the exchange to ensure platform stability, security, and efficiency. [1]
- Regulatory Compliance: Leading the efforts to obtain and maintain a digital asset business license from the Thai Ministry of Finance, ensuring all operations adhere to the legal framework supervised by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This was a critical step in establishing Bitkub as a legitimate and trusted platform. [3] [6]
- Scaling and Team Building: Building and managing the operational teams needed to support the platform's significant user growth, which expanded from thousands to millions of users in a short period. [1]
- Customer Support Infrastructure: Managing the operational strain of rapid growth was a significant challenge. He led the implementation of systems, such as Zendesk, to overhaul the customer support infrastructure. This enabled Bitkub to manage massive increases in customer inquiries, scale support to a 24/7 model, and maintain a high customer satisfaction (CSAT) score, which was reported at 90% as of April 2021. [5] [1]
Philosophy and Strategy
Chimplapibul's leadership is guided by several core principles that have shaped Bitkub's strategy. He has emphasized that building trust with both customers and regulators is a cornerstone of the company's success in a new and often-misunderstood industry. [4]
His strategic priorities include:
- Security First: He prioritizes security above other aspects of the business. One core principle he follows is risk diversification, such as using multiple digital asset custodians, stating, "One of our core principles is never putting all our eggs in one basket." This led to partnerships with custodians like Rakkar Digital, which is backed by SCB10X. [6]
- Regulatory Proactiveness: He views navigating the evolving regulatory landscape as both a challenge and an opportunity. He aims to position Bitkub as a leader in consumer protection by staying ahead of regulatory changes to foster greater trust and adoption. [6]
- Education-First Strategy: Chimplapibul believes that widespread adoption comes from understanding rather than direct sales. He stated, "We never directly try to sell our products. Instead, we’re trying to educate people to understand blockchain and to open up to it. Once they believe in the technology, they come to our platform." This approach led to Bitkub's educational knowledge base driving a significant portion of traffic to the exchange. [5]
Growth and Strategic Initiatives
Under Chimplapibul's leadership, Bitkub grew to become Thailand's largest digital asset exchange, with a user base reaching nearly 5 million registered users by mid-2025. [6] [7] The Bitkub mobile application became the #1 ranked financial app in Thailand on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The platform experienced high trading volumes, including a peak daily trading volume of $1.45 billion in 2021. [6]
Looking toward the future, Chimplapibul has guided Bitkub’s strategy to include product expansion, technological enhancements like passkeys, expansion of institutional services, and international growth. [6] A key focus is the expansion into new asset classes beyond traditional cryptocurrencies. He foresees the tokenization of all asset classes, stating, "Next, home, land, car ownership will be digitised, and eventually, everything around you will come in the form of a digital token." [5]
On June 19, 2025, Bitkub announced a strategic partnership with IOST, a blockchain platform focused on Real-World Assets (RWAs). The collaboration aims to expand digital asset education and investment opportunities in Thailand, particularly in RWAs and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Regarding the partnership, Chimplapibul said, "This partnership with IOST is a crucial step in our mission to democratize finance. By educating our users about RWAs and providing them with regulated access, we are opening up new avenues for wealth creation that were previously inaccessible to the average Thai investor." [7]
Public Appearances
Atthakrit Chimplapibul is a recognized speaker at industry events, where he shares his experience in building and scaling a regulated digital asset exchange in Southeast Asia. He is scheduled to speak at the Consensus Hong Kong 2026 conference on February 12, 2026. His session, titled "Charting the Explosive Growth of Crypto Adoption in Southeast Asia," is part of the Asia Macro Summit track. [8]